I recoiled.
That was almost fifty people. I could only assume “acquire” meant putting them into contracts like Dad, Rissa, and Olive. Probably Mom too.
Did Soren write this?
Though I’d been ready to consider his innocence, this was evidence of the opposite. Even if he hadn’t written it, he was obviously complicit in stealing people into the fae world.
Struggling to wrap my mind around the note, I put it back, staring hopelessly into the wardrobe. I’d just started to think maybe he wasn’t that bad. My mind tried to find excuses for him, like maybe he didn’t want to do it. But did that matter? If he was involved, he needed to be stopped.
Returning to my hunt with new energy, I searched every nook and cranny. But the notebook didn’t turn up.
With a sigh, I prepared to admit defeat.
The doorknob of the regular door jiggled as someone turned it.
I sucked in a breath.
I hadn’t heard anyone coming!
The hidden doorway to the balcony was all the way across the room.
Without thinking, I jumped inside the wardrobe and yanked the door closed behind me, leaving a slight crack.
At first, I couldn’t see anything.
Then Soren entered the room.
He sank down onto the bed with his back to me, putting his head in his hands. The posture seemed almost... hopeless? How strange.
I held my breath when he stood.
Had he heard me?
But he just lifted the mattress and pulled something from beneath that I couldn’t quite see.I should’ve checked there!
Too late now.
Whatever it was, it was too small to be the notebook, because he tucked it into his pants pocket.
When he moved out of view, I started to panic. If he needed clothes, I’d chosen the worst-possible hiding place. I should’ve rolled under the bed.
But then I heard a door click softly shut.
I blew out a relieved breath.
Time to get out of here before he came back and caught me snooping. Climbing out of the wardrobe, I shut it behind me and dashed across the room. The hidden door had fallen shut at some point.
I searched for the seam in the wall.
There.
Pushing on the back of the shelf that led to the balcony, I slipped through.
And crashed straight into a solid chest.
Soren.
I’d landed in his arms.
